Digiscoping

Hi,

 I digiscope a lot.

I use a Canon powershot attached to a Swarovski 65 with WA zoom. The adaptor I use is home made- metal tube and B&Q plumbing pipe :)

With my set up I get around vignetting by zooming slightly or just cropping on photoshop later

Don't use the digital zoom facility unless it's imperative- ie it's a major rarity and you need proof :)

See my gallery on this site for results

There are loads of Digi scoping sites on the net to check out

BIRDWATCHING magazine do an excellent beginners guide DVD that covers cameras, scopes and Photoshop techniques.

:))

S

Hi , I have a scope, and was wondering if it is any good for digiscoping?

its a spotting scope 20-60 X 60, would this one be worth me getting an adaptor for?

Thanks

Hi,

IMHO - the critical things with scopes for digi-scoping are -

Wide angle lens of 20, 25 0r 30 is preferable- BUT top of the range 20-60 zoom lenses are fine as long as the weather isnt dull. The diameter of the glass on the eyepiece lens needs to be large enough for the digicam lens to fit somehow

Scopes with 70mm diameter Objective lenses are obviously better for light gathering

Personally I find those 'meccano contraptions' that swing all over the place are just too big and faffy- I like to bird normally and just pull my camera out of my pocket if I need it, use it and put it back away.

There  are websites detailing what adapters are available for which scopes. I see a lot of guys with home made custom adapters that work fine :)

:))

S

hello janet... i did say so.. although i wouldnt know what adapater you did need as only just starting myself... i did take it along to Jessops and ask them about the adapeters and see what the say.....

if ya do can you post back here please to tell people which one you brought etc

ok I will give it a try, the scope is good, powerful, but I find it hard to use. the birds gone before I can find it with the scope. lol

Hi,

a few tips-  :)

start out digi scoping easy birds like roosting ducks

keep the scope on the lowest mag- you get better light gathering

lock the tripod head in position on the bird, attach the digicam and shoot a few shots

keep the digi cam on the lowest ISO as possible - 100 or 200 are normally fine

:))

S

ps- I really do recommend the Birdwatching mag DVD  for beginners:)

Hi-

I now use a KOWA 883  with a Canon powershot, but am experimenting with various lenses and cameras when I get the chance.

Took this today with the cam zoomed and a 30x lens ISO 400  Program mode

S

ps-  see my digi scoping posts for photos of the adaptor etc

Hi-  later in the day I took this through a 20x zoom            ISO 400  AUTO

S

Unknown said:

hello everybody

 

i wonder if there is any amongst us that does/ use's a digiscope bird watching... i am very  into photography in a big way with digital canon camera and i also have a telescope (birding type) i brought a small pocket camera for christmas with the view of doing some digiscoping while out in the field... i would be intrested in hearing from anyone who does to find out the following information...

1) what adapter they are useing with their scope if they are contecting digicamera to it...

2) how they are getting around Vignetting...

any other useful information that they have to enable me to enjoy digiscoping this spring...

Hi-

1-  B&Q pipe - see next answer

2- Vignetting is cured by getting the cam lens as close to the scope eyepiece lens as poss. I like the plastic B&Q pipe because you can sand it down and get very close to the lens ( my adaptor slides inside the rubber eyepiece and rests on the flat metal surround of the lens glass)

:)

S